Cistus aguilarii Maculatus

The cistus x aguilarii 'Maculatus' is a variety of bush that is interesting for its large size and contrasting bicolour spring flowers. It is an evergreen Mediterranean bush that thrives in dry, even arid, conditions. Its dark green foliage is attractive in winter, and its young spring shoots emit a pleasant balsamic fragrance in warm weather. This acid-loving bush has its place in a dry garden, including at the edge of a wood.

The Cistus x aguilarii f. maculatus belongs to the family of Cistaceae, like all rockroses, but also like sunroses. It results from cross-breeding between the Cistus ladanifer, also known as gum rockrose, and the C. x aguilarii f. immaculatus, a hybrid with large pure white flowers. All these plants originate from very dry Mediterranean regions in summer. The Cistus x aguilarii 'Maculatus' is a well-branched bush with an upright spreading habit, reaching between 1.25 m and 2 m in height and 80 cm to 1.20 m in width depending on the growing conditions. Its growth is fast, but the plant disappears after about ten years. The abundant flowering occurs in spring (April-May) or early summer (June) depending on the climate. It lasts for three weeks to a month. The flowers are round, open, slightly crumpled corollas by numerous bright yellow stamens. The petals slightly overlap. They only live for a day but will be replaced the next morning. The evergreen foliage in winter consists of thick, elongated leaves with undulate edges in a dark green colour. The sticky and resinous young shoots contain fragrant essential oils, which are volatile in very hot weather. The hardiness of this rockrose is estimated at -12/-14°C at its peak for a mature plant in well-draining soil that does not retain water.

This beautiful rockrose creates the persistent structure of a dry garden in poor, acidic soil. It will be magnificent in a flowering hedge, at the wood's edge, or in a large rockery. To accompany your rockrose, you can choose, for example, the Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum', a tall rosemary 'Mrs Jessop's Upright', an evergreen ceanothus 'Concha', abelias, oleanders... You can plant this rockrose in coastal gardens as it tolerates sea spray perfectly.